December 13, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 2, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: The caretaker government is considering a proposal to establish ‘growth triangles’ to achieve the goal of integrated rural development and build their linkages with urban centres and provide increased market access for rural products.

Official sources told Dawn on Wednesday that the new market access for rural products had been suggested as a measure of prime importance for economic development, growth and employment generation in rural areas.

The proposal has been made part of the new National Employment Policy.

The policy planning cell of the ministry of labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis is organising a seminar here on Dec 31 to finalise recommendations about the new policy, based on a draft report which has already been prepared.

“We do not think that caretakers have time to look into the new policy, but the new government is expected to approve and implement it,” said an official.

The three-tier mechanism, he said, had potential to develop rural economy by integrating village markets to mini-industrial estates and linked to the city and town markets.

The main hindrances to enhancing gainful work opportunities in rural areas were identified as low human and financial capital, lack of adequate knowledge about market conditions and support institutions, inadequate availability of infrastructural facilities, poor reach of extension services, absence of backward and especially forward linkages and failure of the institutional machinery for labour market information, employment counselling and vocational guidance.

The basic idea behind the ‘growth triangles’ is to integrate rural areas by coordinating activities ranging from production to marketing and services through integrated rural development centres. Establishment of focal points at the grassroots level will be the first step.

These focal points, deep in the villages, should cater to repair, service, maintenance and commercially related requirements of villages.